Fire suppression system for aircraft

Abstract

A dry bay (4) in an aircraft wing (2) is filled with a large number of relatively small, preferably spherical, containers (12). Sealed inside each container (12) is a noncorrosive gaseous fire extinguishant (14). A number of containers (12) are opened by being broken by an impact force or melted or burst by the heat of a fire. Extinguishant (14) is released from the opened containers (12) to suppress a fire. The packing density of containers (12) in dry bay (4) may be varied by varying the size and/or shape of containers (12). Containers (12) may be introduced into dry bay (4) by pressure injection or by gravity. Containers (12) may be removed from dry bay (4) to allow maintenance and repair activities by allowing containers (12) to drop out of dry bay (4) into a suitable receptacle or by drawing containers (12) out of dry bay (4) with a vacuum powered device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of providing a compartment of an aircraft with fire protection and of minimizing the effect of fire suppression apparatus on maintenance and repair of the compartment, said compartment being bounded by wall means that define a normally dry interior space in which a dry combustible material is located or into which a combustible fluid could leak as a result of damage to the aircraft or equipment failure, and to which routine quick and easy access is required in order to carry out routine maintenance activity, said method comprising: filling a plurality of discrete small containers with a fire extinguishant and sealing the extinguishant inside the containers;   filling said interior space with the extinguishant-filled containers, including allowing the discrete containers to form a body of containers that substantially conforms to the shape of such interior space; each of said containers being openable by an increase in temperature to a predetermined level to release the fire extinguishant into said interior space of said compartment in response to said increase, and each of said containers being openable by an impact force of a predetermined magnitude to release the fire extinguishant into said interior space of said compartment in response to said force; and   removing said containers from said space to permit routine maintenance activity, and refilling said space with said containers when such activity is completed.   
     
     
       2. A method of providing a compartment of an aircraft with fire protection and of minimizing the effect of fire suppression apparatus on maintenance and repair of the compartment, said compartment being bounded by wall means that defines a normally dry interior space in which a dry combustible material is located or into which a combustible fluid could leak as a result of damage to the aircraft or equipment failure, to which routine quick and easy access is required in order to carry out routine maintenance activity, and, when damage to the compartment occurs, to which access is required in order to carry out damage repair, said method comprising: filling a plurality of discrete small containers with a fire extinguishant and sealing the extinguishant inside the containers;   filling said interior space with the extinguishant-filled containers, including allowing the discrete containers to form a body of containers that substantially conforms to the shape of such interior space; each of said containers being openable by an increase in temperature to a predetermined level to release the fire extinguishant into said interior space of said compartment in response to said increase, and each of said containers being openable by an impact force of a predetermined magnitude to release the fire extinguishant into said interior space of said compartment in response to said force; and   when damage to the compartment has occurred, removing said containers from said space to permit repair of said damage, and refilling said space with said containers after said repair has been completed.   when damage to the compartment has occurred, removing said containers from said space to permit repair of said damage, and refilling said space with said containers after said repair has been completed.